Category: Business

Business insights, company profiles and industry analysis covering African markets, leadership, entrepreneurship and economic growth.

FORTIS X has launched Africa’s first biodegradable and recyclable plant-based packaging

In light of Plastic Free July®, Fortis X has launched Africa’s first biodegradable and recyclable plant-based packaging, providing a crucial alternative to single-use plastics. Given the pressing issue of plastic waste in South Africa, where only 10% of the 122 million tons of annual waste is recycled, Fortis X’s innovation offers a beacon of hope. Nicholas De Beer, Director of Fortis X, emphasises that their sugarcane-derived biopolymer bottles represent a significant step toward mitigating plastic pollution and its detrimental impacts on our environment and health. In addition to offering an eco-friendly alternative for various products, Fortis X’s plant-based bottles have already garnered support from notable brands like SOGA Organic®, BOS Ice Tea, and Omnia Natura. Moreover, recycling plastic water bottles can save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for six hours, highlighting the broader benefits of embracing sustainable packaging solutions.

FROM RUSSIA TO KENYA AND SOUTH AFRICA: GLOBAL ACTIVISTS UNITE FOR A SUSTAINABLE, NUCLEAR-FREE FUTURE

In solidarity with the anti-nuclear power movement in Kenya where a proposed nuclear power station is set to be built within the next decade, eco-justice organisations from South Africa and Russia are on a visit to the Republic of Kenya to share insights and learnings, from their experiences of living with nuclear energy, in their respective countries and opposing nuclear as civil society. The Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI) and Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, both from South Africa – where the Minister of Energy and Electricity recently announced that the procurement of 2500MW of new nuclear power was “at an advanced stage” – and Ecodefense from Russia, and Right Livelihood Awards are meeting Kenyan civil society at the proposed site in Kilifi, to stand together in opposition of any new nuclear stations in Africa.

Game Changers: How Athletes’ Sports Skills Can Help Promote Economic Development in Ghana’s Oil Industry

This study explores how elite athletes’ transferable skills can support economic development in Ghana’s oil industry. With the sector facing a growing skills crisis, the research identifies how competencies gained through high-performance sports—such as teamwork, communication, leadership, strategic planning, decision-making, negotiation, creativity, and emotional intelligence—can help address human-capital shortages in the downstream oil sector. By mapping skill overlap using a visual assessment method and surveying former elite football players now working across major oil-industry roles, the findings show strong alignment between sports-developed abilities and industry requirements. Leveraging these undervalued skills offers a practical pathway to strengthen workforce capacity and advance sustainable economic growth in Ghana’s energy sector.

Virgin Atlantic’s Flight100 saved 95 tonnes of CO2 and demonstrated environmental benefits of Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Virgin Atlantic has shared headline results from Flight100, the first transatlantic flight on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), proving not only that the SAF used for the flight is safe to use with existing infrastructure and delivers material reductions in CO2, but can also improve local air quality, contribute to a reduction on persistent contrail formation and reduce fuel use.